From Love to Intrigue in England
by couture212
Summary: Henry lost the battle of the Bosworth but was allowed to live; he marries Elizabeth of York. Their son Henry falls in love with the Spanish Princess that comes to marry Prince Edward. However, Edward dies of the sweating sickness and Katherine marries Henry Richmond's son. What if Henry decides to take after his father, his standard and fight for the crown?
1. Chapter 1

Plot Bunny by Vader'sMistress.

What if Henry lost the battle of the Bosworth but was allowed to live. He still marries EOY. Anne Neville lives. Their son Henry falls in love with the Spanish Princess that comes to marry Prince Edward.

Like with Arthur, Edward dies of the sweating and instead of marrying Richard's other relatives or sons, she marries Henry Richmond's son.

She is well liked, loved by the people while she was in Wales; Richard's popularity declining, what if Henry decides to take after his father, his standard and fight for the crown?

AN: Sorry Vader'sMistress tried to write the full plot, but it went past the character limit. Also have altered some ages to make this work, Prince Edward was born in 1478, Katherine in 1484 and Henry in 1484 as well. Addition: Margaret Tudor will be born in 1486, and Mary Tudor in 1488. Richard III will be born in 1457 and Anne Neville 1459.

* * *

_London, England, May 1504 _

It was May and it was a warm and light day. The King of England, Richard III and his wife Queen Anne Neville were busy making preparations for the arrival of the Infanta Catalina of Castile, Aragon, and Leon, youngest daughter of the Catholic Monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. Richard III had hoped that with this marriage it would bring more stability to his reign which had almost ended as it had begun with the Battle of Bosworth Field where his great rival and Lancastrian claimant, Henry Tudor, the Earl of Richmond had nearly bested him and seized the crown. However Richard was able to win and wiped out the Lancastrian Army and had spared the treacherous earl deciding he would serve as a great political tool as the weak Lancastrian link. Richard did not even care when the earl married his bastardized niece, Elizabeth of York in 1483. They had three children, Henry, Margaret, and Mary and mostly resided at Henry Tudor's great house known as Richmond Palace. Elizabeth died just last year along with the daughter she had given birth to, thus leaving the three children motherless and in the hands of their grandmother, the Lady Margaret Beaufort. Richard was unpopular amongst the people and he knew it, however he had a son and with that brought opportunities such as political alliances. With much convincing and diplomatic talks, Richard had sent men to Spain to speak with King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and propose a match between his son and heir, Prince Edward and one of their daughters. And now the time had come for the Infanta had left Spain and had landed in Plymouth and was making her way towards London where she would be greeted and received.

"Husband." Anne Neville said, entering the room. Anne Neville the daughter of the 16th Earl of Warwick was a good and political woman and knew how much this marriage meant to her husband. At forty seven years of age she still retained some semblance of her former looks with waist length golden hair that was faded and streaked with a bit of grey, honey brown eyes, and a sallow like complexion.

"Anne." Richard said with a smile as he greeted his wife.

"Have you made preparations for the Infanta's household?" He asked, and Anne nodded with a smile.

"Yes, everything is in order and they are all here awaiting their future mistress." She said, and Richard nodded.

"The wedding shall take place at St. George's Chapel." The King said, going over the details of everything that must be done for the marriage of his only child and heir.

"My nephew, John de la Pole will be the one to escort the Infanta down the aisle." Richard said with a gleam in his eye. This was the moment for the House of York to show that it was a legitimate and secure dynasty. Richard had even "invited" his rival the Earl of Richmond, along with his family to the wedding.

A groom entered the chamber and bowed.

"Your graces, the Infanta has arrived at Baynard's Castle." He said, and Richard rose to his feet and quickly followed the groom outside.

"Go and fetch Edward and tell him that his betrothed is here in London at Baynard's Castle." The King snapped, as he strode down the halls followed by Queen Anne.

* * *

The court had assembled outside the Palace in anticipation of the Infanta's arrival. Edward, the Prince of Wales had joined his father and mother and was eagerly looking out amongst the crowd. A man of twenty six years of age, he was a bit on the thin side with shoulder length golden hair and brown eyes. The court was satisfied with its curiosity as the train of the Infanta began to approach. Knights upon horses strode forward bearing the coat of arms of the House of Trastamara and a badge of a crowned pomegranate. Everyone was in awe as the Infanta's Spanish retinue which included ladies, gentlemen, and foreign Africans amongst them. Richard saw the wealth and power of the House of Trastamara and he was begrudgingly impressed. Finally a litter of rich red and gold was carried forth by four strong stallions when it came to a halt in front of the royal family.

A man of strong stock build, black locks and grey eyes, strode forward and bowed before the King and Queen of England.

"Your graces, I am Enrique Baena, Count de Cabra." He said, in accented French to which Richard nodded his head.

"I trust the journey was well with her royal highness." He said, and the Count nodded his head with a small smile.

"There were some storms when we left for England, and it was such that we had to land and wait some few weeks, but everything else was good." He said, and Richard III smiled, pleased that everything was going well.

"We have prepared a banquet in honor of the Infanta's arrival. I trust you may tell her that she may leave her litter." The King said and there was some looks of unease amongst the Spanish entourage, such that Richard became apprehensive.

"Why do you look that way? Is there something wrong with Infanta Catalina?" The King demanded harshly. What were they trying to hide from him?!

"There is nothing wrong, your grace." Enrique said smoothly.

"The Infanta may come out, but she shall be veiled as she is a Castilian bride and our tradition holds that her husband shall see her face once she is married. To not hold to the custom would be a violation of the Infanta's honor and modesty." The Count said, and Richard stared at him in muted anger.

Anne Neville, seeing her husband's face stepped forward.

"We mean no disrespect to the Infanta nor to their most Catholic majesties, but this is England and she is to be the Princess of Wales." She countered in a gentle yet firm tone. There was tense standoff between the King and the Spanish entourage before the Count de Cabra finally gave way.

The curtains of the litter were drawn back and a young woman of middling stature stepped out of the litter. She wore a great dress of brown silk that was slashed at the elbows and a veil covered her face. A gold necklace hung from her neck of gold K's and pomegranates and the Count approached her and bowed.

"Forgive me your royal highness, but you must lift the veil." He said, and there was a pause as the Infanta stepped forward and lifted the veil over her head. Richard was pleased with what he saw, standing before him was a woman with waving golden auburn hair, blue grey eyes and a creamy white complexion. She had certainly inherited the looks of her great grandmother, Katherine of Lancaster, though she was nowhere near as tall as that woman.

"Your graces ." The Infanta said, her voice like low belles with a heavy accent. She spoke in French as well and sank into a curtsey.

"Welcome to England, allow me to introduce my son, Prince Edward of Wales." Richard said, and Edward stepped forward in front of his future wife. The Spanish Infanta gave him a small smile and curtseyed once more.

"Your highness." She said, and Prince Edward smiled at her and gave her a bow as well, before extending his arm towards her and the retinue made their way into the Palace of Westminster.

* * *

AN: There is the Prologue, do you guys like it? Please Read and Review!

Sources: Catherine the Queen by Mary M. Luke, BBC's The Six Wives of Henry VIII, wikipedia, and Game of Thrones!


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Alright since both Henry's are alive, this is how I will differentiate between them, The Earl of Richmond is the elder and historical Henry VII, while Henry Tudor is the younger and historical Henry VIII

Disclaimer: I do not own the Tudors

* * *

Katherine followed her husband into the Palace of Westminster. They walked through the gatehouse which was watched by a selection of guards dressed in white livery with badges of a white boar on them. The palace itself was more ancient than anything, being the style of the 11th century in which palaces were more fortress like than decorative. Still it was a good sight, the walls were decorated with the badges of the Richard III and his wife Anne Neville.

"The wedding will be held in four days." The King announced, as they entered the audience chamber to where everything would be discussed.

"The Queen has already assembled your household as Princess of Wales, after the wedding, you and Prince Edward will take your place at Ludlow Castle where he shall preside over the Welsh Marches." Richard III said, as he sat underneath the canopy of estate which was a great carved oak chair with cloth of silver, and white silk canopy hanging over it. Queen Anne Neville sat on the throne next to him. Katherine smiled at the King, Ludlow Castle? Their own court? Interesting and some degree of power in doing whatever she wished. Katherine looked at her betrothed who seemed pleased as well at the news. Katherine felt a pang as she saw some resemblance with her brother Juan, who had died several years ago. After the audience, Katherine was shown to her chambers, which were large and comfortable. The Infanta ordered her minstrels to play and there was joy and pleasure within the future Princess of Wales apartments. Prince Edward watched as his future wife performed Spanish dances to guitars and tambourines which were foreign to his ears but none the less enjoyable.

"My dear Infanta, have you thought of what you would wear for our wedding?" Edward asked, and the Spanish Infanta whirled around and came to a halt, a frown upon her face. She had not given too much thought to her wedding, but she supposed she would need to do so.

"I suppose I should do so, white will do." The Infanta said, as her fool danced around and she let out a low laugh.

The dancing and singing continued well into the night, with the participants retiring early in the morning.

* * *

Katherine woke up the next day, where she saw to the details of her wedding, during the day the King and Queen held a banquet in her honor. As a virgin, she wore her hair loose which cascaded down to her back in soft waves, she wore a gown of red silk with a cardinal shaped hat that was the color of gold and tied with gold lace and held together with a red silk coif. Pearl drop earrings that dangled from rubies hung from her ears and she wore a necklace of gold chain with a ruby pendant. She was escorted into the great hall by Prince Edward and the Infanta saw it was filled with courtiers who all looked at her as she approached the dais.

"My son's, future wife and Princess of Wales, Infanta Catalina of Castile, Leon and Aragon!" Richard said with a smirk as applause rang from the court. There was a applause even from his great enemy, Henry Tudor, Earl of Richmond and his family. They had arrived at court for the wedding which they would attend as well as everyone else. Richard smiled as an idea came to him, what better way to agitate Henry Tudor than to send his son and heir as a mere groom to Prince Edward in Ludlow Castle? To think if Henry had won, this boy would be a prince, now he was just a groom with no great prospects.

A great feast was served with boar, pies filled with chicken, black pudding, cooked entrails of pig, red wine, and marzipan. Katherine found the food strange, though it was good enough. It was nothing compared to the salads, fruit, and sparkling cool water she had grown up with in Granada. When they were in Wales, Katherine would tell her husband of the good and rich salads of her home and merge them into their meals. All throughout the banquet, she was introduced to various noblemen and courtiers including John de la Pole, the 3rd Duke of Suffolk and her escort down the aisle. He was a man in his early forties and was a favorite of his aunt and uncle and seemed to hold a great deal of power as well as Thomas Howard, the 2nd Duke of Norfolk.

"John is next in line for the throne." Edward said, in a soft voice causing Katherine to turn to him, surprise on her face.

"He's the blood nephew of both my father and mother and an able man it seems." The Prince continued, and the Infanta nodded before her gaze settled upon the infamous Earl of Richmond, Henry Tudor. He was surrounded by his family and she saw the brooding expression upon his face as he ate the food before him. She turned her gaze to the young man next to him, who looked to be around her age. He was handsome with red golden hair and deep ocean blue eyes. He was broad shoulder and fit in form and though he was sitting down, Katherine could see he was a tall man. She had heard a bit about the Tudor family and their attempt to seize the throne from the rightful King Richard III, it was amazing that they were all seated in court with their heads on their necks. The Infanta could not ever understand such a decision and thought Richard III a fool for allowing the Tudors to flourish.

* * *

Meanwhile with the House of Tudor, the family was sitting barely eating the food and ready to return to Richmond Palace.

"We can leave after the wedding correct?" Margaret Tudor, the middle child and eldest daughter of the Earl of Richmond asked. She was seventeen years of age and had long mahogany brown hair and honey brown eyes.

"Yes." The Earl of Richmond said shortly when John de la Pole approached them with a smirk upon his face.

"Your grace." The Earl said, his voice cold and unfeeling.

"Excellency, I come bringing you good news. The King has decided that your son and heir shall accompany the Prince and Princess of Wales to Ludlow as a groom in Prince Edward's household." He said, and their was outrage amongst the Tudors and especially said heir, Henry Tudor.

"Groom?!" The young Henry said, seething with fury. How he hated that bastard Richard III and his Yorkist kin. He cared not that they were relatives of his late mother, but how he wished them destroyed!

"Yes groom, you will be leaving right after the wedding." The Duke of Suffolk said, before taking his leave of them.

Henry Tudor could barely contain his fury at hearing his future prospects, groom to that thing Edward?! Though he was intrigued by his future wife who he had caught staring at him during the banquet. Very intrigued.

* * *

_Westminster Abbey May 20, 1504_

The day of the wedding arrived and the court was assembled in the chapel of Westminster Abbey, a gorgeous gothic style cathedral that was several stories tall. Katherine was dressed in a gown of white silk with big sleeves and her skirt billowing out due to the farthingale she wore underneath. She wore a Spanish Mantilla a white silk that was embroidered with gold, pearls, and diamonds and came to her lower back. The Duke of Suffolk led her down the aisle where her betrothed awaited her, dressed in white silk and cloth of gold. She was then handed over to the Count de Cabra who would perform in her father's place. She kneeled down and Edward followed suit as the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Warham dressed in cloth of gold, crimson, and white waited for the couple.

"We are gathered here today before God and these witnesses, to join in Holy Matrimony, Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall, Earl of Chester and Salisbury, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and the Infanta Catalina of Castile, Leon, and Aragon." Warham said, turning to the young couple.

"And if there be any among you whom object to this royal marriage, let them now speak out or forever hold their peace." The Archbishop of Canterbury said.

After the ceremony there was more feasting and dancing and at the end of the evening, the bridge and groom were put to bed in ceremony. They came to a great chamber with a great bed that had a canopy of white silk hanging over it. Katherine was led to the chamber by the Duchess of Norfolk and the Countess de Cabra, dressed only in a plain linen night shift. The Prince of Wales was came in as well surrounded by her gentlemen which Katherine noted to her surprise contained to the son of the Earl of Richmond. The Archbishop returned and said a prayer before blessing the marriage bed and the Prince and Princess were left alone.

* * *

The next morning was the day the couple and their household was to leave for Wales. Katherine said good-bye to the majority of her Spanish attendants and was soon in her litter on her way to Ludlow Castle. The party was lead by the Bishop of Lincoln, William Smith. Her wedding night had been uneventful for the most part though painful. It was some time before the party arrived at Ludlow Castle which was a great castle of light brown brick and built in the old style.

Life in Wales soon became routine for the new Princess of Wales, she went hunting when she could, held banquets for the local nobility and donated alms and money to the local common people of Wales thus earning their love. She and her husband had a cordial and respectful relationship with them sharing a bed about 5 times over the course of the six months they were at Ludlow Castle. Edward set about rebuilding the area surrounding the castle which had been devastated by the War of the Roses. However six months later, Katherine was introduced to another English custom and that was the sweating sickness. Several people came down with it, and in the end it had serious consequences for Edward, the Prince of Wales and only living child of King Richard and Queen Anne was dead.

King Richard was devastated along with his Queen and horrified. He had lost his only child! Distraught though he was, he named John de la Pole, his nephew and the Duke of Suffolk as his successor. He was a middle aged men with several children thus the House of York would be secure in that regard. Edward's body was embalmed and buried at Sheriff Hutton a which was in Yorkshire. His thoughts turned to the Dowager Princess of Wales. John had a son William who was his heir and a few years older than Katherine, he would have to send word to the Catholic Monarchs, and assure them that Katherine would still become Queen and make an agreement for another contract and marriage. Little did he know that while in Wales, the Princess had caught the attentions of the young and ambitious Henry Tudor, son of the Earl of Richmond. He had fallen in love with Katherine and had wanted her and now that she was a widow, would waste no time in achieving this goal and it was an apt and easy one for Katherine loved him in return.

* * *

AN: I want to thank Vader'sMistress for her help with ideas and input with this chapter! Please Read and Review!

Sources: Wikipedia, Catherine the Queen by Mary M. Luke and surprisingly a bit of inspiration from the Twilight movie small though it be!


	3. Chapter 3

_March 1505, Palace of Placentia_

Katherine was in a meeting with Hernan Duque de Estrada, where she would discuss the next steps. With the death of her mother, her father had assumed control of Castile in place of Juana who was mad and deemed unfit to rule. Katherine wanted her dower rights which were Wallingford Castle, Cheylesmore Manor, Conwy Castle, Caernarvon Castle, a third of the revenue from the tin mines in Cornwall, Macclesfield which would give her an income of five thousand pounds, and crown rents in Coventry. England had no heir, except John de la Pole, the nephew of the King and their was discussion of her marrying his eldest son William. The Infanta of course, had no such intentions of doing so, for she was precontracted to marry another and that was Henry Tudor, son of the Earl of Richmond and their wedding would take place at the Palace of Richmond within a few weeks.

"I have pressed your claims and the King has no choice but to grant them though he will want you married to another of his relatives." Estrada said, and Katherine grimaced at the thought.

"I think not your excellency, King Richard is in trouble and he knows this. The Wars of the Roses have racked this country and with his heir dead, he expects John de la Pole to hold it?" The Dowager Princess shook her head. She did not believe it, and she would not be caught up in the Yorkist cause any further. Especially when her future husband was of the Lancastrian cause.

"He is a relative of the King, your royal highness." Estrada pointed out, and the Infanta shook her head once more.

"That may be so, but what of the late Duke of Clarence's children?" She asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"George Plantagenet was executed by his own brother Edward IV, and was attainted." Estrada dismissed.

"True, but George was the elder brother and thus if we are to follow the House of York, then who is to say that his son Edward Plantagenet won't press his claim to the throne or even the daughter, Margaret Pole." She said, and Estrada paused at this. The Spanish emissary had not taken this into account but the twenty year old Princess Dowager of Wales had considered this during the months after Edward's death.

"Very well then. I will speak with the King and soon enough you will have your dower lands." The emissary said, and Katherine smiled.

"Thank you, your excellency, your work is much appreciated." She said warmly, pleased that she had some representation at court.

* * *

Richard III was in council with his Privy Council which consisted of those loyal to the House of York. There was Thomas Howard, 2nd Duke of Norfolk, John de la Pole, 3rd Duke of Suffolk, Henry Percy, 5th Earl of Northumberland, Francis Lovell, Viscount Lovell, and Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester.

"As you know with the death of the Prince of Wales. The Yorkist line must be secured." Richard III said, with a grim tone. John de la Pole could barely contain himself as he knew he was going to be the next King of England.

"As you know, John is my intended successor and it is my intention to invest him with the titles of the Duke of Gloucester and Earl of Salisbury." Richard III continued.

"However there is a problem." He said, drawing the immediate attentions of his councilmen.

"Your grace." Lovell, one of Richard's closest friend questioned.

"The children of my brother, George the Duke of Clarence." Richard said, and there was guarded silence.

"They are a direct threat and with my late brother having seniority over me, gives them a strong claim to the throne. I want Acts of Attainder passed against Edward and Margaret, and both of them sent to the Tower and their lands forfeited." Richard said and their was a stunned silence from the council.

"Is your grace certain?" Thomas Howard asked, his face portraying a bit of unease. The War of the Roses had shown the brutality and cruelty of the fighting clans, but to kill one's niece and nephew who were of the same house?

"I am certain!" Richard snapped, not liking to be questioned. It did not matter to him, for he had done this before. With his nephews, and countless others, Richard would stop at nothing to make sure his position as King of England was secure.

"Now regarding the Dowager Princess of Wales, his grace the Duke of Suffolk's eldest son Edmund is unmarried and a few years older than the Princess." He said, and the Duke of Suffolk spoke.

"I for one have no objections to such a marriage, Your Majesty. My Edmund is a good lad and will be a good husband and future King of England." John said, and Richard III smiled.

"I am glad to hear of it, therefore I shall be sending emissaries to Spain to speak with King Ferdinand to introduce to him this new proposal." The King said, and there was general agreement amongst the council.

"What of the princess's dowager rights?" John asked, and the King frowned.

"I have spoken with Estrada and have granted the dowager rights to Katherine and upon her death, everything will revert to the Crown once more." Richard said, he still could not believe that his son was dead and such a grand marriage had fallen through with a Spanish Infanta gaining lands and thousands of pounds!

* * *

Henry Tudor rode his horse through the parks surrounding his family seat of Richmond Palace. London had been thrown into shock at the executions of Margaret Pole and her brother Edward Plantagenet. Word had spread that the Lady Margaret had been frantic and ran from the block while the executioner hacked her to pieces with eight to ten blows. Richard was an unpopular King and these recent attainders further damaged his reputation. The time was nearing for the overthrow of Richard III and the start of the Tudor dynasty which should have happened in 1485 but they were defeated. Henry could only imagine the things he would do as King of England, firstly he would make good and advantageous marriages for his sisters and he would usher in the Renaissance learning, Richard was an old King and a Medieval one at that. And best of all, his wife would be a Spanish Infanta from the prestigious House of Trastamara. But first, Richard and his supporters would need to go. And he would need to gather support which would not be too difficult as Richard was already unpopular, but it was needed amongst the nobility.

"Henry!" Came the voice of his sister, Margaret Tudor. Margaret was now seventeen was a beautiful young woman with long flowing rich dark brown hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a gown of black sarcanet with a great black steeple hood on her head.

"What is it Margaret?" Henry called back, bringing his horse to a stop.

"I bring word from London, Katherine has been confirmed all her Dower Rights." Margaret said, and Henry smirked in response.

"And?" He asked, dismounting from the horse.

"The King intends to marry her to William de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln and the son of his new designated heir, John de la Pole." Margaret said, wrinkling her nose slightly. After Richard and the House of York, the Tudors hated the de la Poles.

Henry cursed inwardly at the news. He would have to send for Katherine and tell her to make way to Richmond Palace, so that they would be married in private ceremony with a few witness and family members present. The siblings rode back to Richmond Palace where the family was gathered.

"I have spoken with William Smyth and he will perform the ceremony." The old Earl of Richmond said, and Henry nodded at his father.

"I will send word for Katherine to come here, as Richard wishes for her to marry Edmund de la Pole." Henry said, and the Earl of Richmond shook his head.

"Make haste then. That can not happen at all costs!" He said.

* * *

Katherine had received the letter from Henry asking her to come to Richmond. She assembled her household together and they left Durham House for Richmond.

"Are we off to you new estates, your highness?" Maria de Salinas, her principal lady in waiting asked.

"Eventually, but for now we will be making our way to Richmond Palace." Katherine said, and their was surprise from her ladies in waiting.

"My lady, that is the home of those traitors! Surely the King would not like it!" Francesca de Caceres protested and Katherine nodded.

"Do not think of Richard III, let's just make our way to Richmond as quickly as possible." Katherine said.

Eventually the Dowager Princess of Wales and her Spanish household arrived at Richmond Palace. It was large and as big as any of Richard III palaces but it was built in the new Burgundian fashion. It was made of grey brick and was three stories high with some places being four due to the many towers constructed. Great glass windows lined the palace which were expensive and required a glass blower. It was impressive and new to Katherine who had seen old medieval like castles and palaces all throughout England.

Inside it was even grander, with oak panelled walls, floors made of polished flagstone, and high ceilings that were painted red. She was led into the great hall where the Tudor family was assembled.

"Henry." Katherine said, happy to see her future husband who came forward and embraced her.

"I have heard that Richard wishes to marry you to Edmund de la Pole, which is why I wanted you here so that we can be married." Henry Tudor said, and the Spanish Infanta nodded. Of course, Richard would be eager to preserve the alliance, but it would not happen.

"Very well then, let us do so." Katherine said, with a smile upon her beautiful face.

* * *

Two days later in the the closet of Richmond Palace, Henry and Katherine were married. Katherine wore a simple gown of white damask that was embroidered with pearls and a simple gold coronet, while Henry was dressed in white as well. The entire Tudor family which consisted of the Earl of Richmond, Lady Margaret Beaufort, Margaret and Mary were assembled as well along with Maria de Salinas and Francesca de Caceres. Afterwards there was a private banquet amongst the family which Katherine enjoyed. She had even gotten Henry to serve some of the salads she loved.

As there was some dancing, Katherine touched her husband's arm.

"Henry, there is something you must know." She said in a low voice, catching her husband's attention.

"I am not a virgin, the late Prince of Wales took my Maidenhead." She said softly, wondering what his reaction would be. Henry clenched his teeth but nodded. It did not matter, and he would not concern himself with it.

"Let us not think of such things." Henry said, and Katherine smiled, a sense of relief flowing through her.

* * *

Their marriage had a good start and the couple would spend a good amount of time with one another. They would go on private walks through the park surrounding Richmond Palace, sometimes Henry and his companions would show up in her chambers dressed in costume and ready for adventure of banquets. There was a time when her husband and his men had come to her chambers dressed as Robin Hood and the merry men and Katherine of course could easily pick out her husband who was taller than most men, but she pretended that she did not and had fun doing so. They went hawking, fishing, had bonfires, hunts and any daring activity. The Spanish Infanta who had grown up in a regal and strict environment, enjoyed such freedoms as she had at Richmond Palace.

* * *

Richard III had been furious to learn of Katherine's new marriage, but he dared not do anything as Katherine was a foreign princess and daughter of the Catholic Monarchs. Enraged, he had levied a fine of 4000 pounds against her, which to even further infuriate him, she sent to him promptly and quickly. After much debate, Richard turned to his dearest friend, Francis Lovell who had a unwed daughter, Elizabeth Lovell. Their wedding would be a grand affair so that all would know that Edmund de la Pole and Elizabeth Lovell were the future King and Queen of England.

* * *

AN: Thanks again to Vader'sMistress for the idea about Katherine consummating her marriage and her talking to Henry about it! :)

Anyone know where to find good information about the House of Lancaster and its supporters?

Sources: Catherine the Queen by Mary M. Luke, wikipedia, Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir, Kate Emerson's site of Women at the Tudor Court,


	4. Chapter 4

_April 1505, Richmond Palace_

Katherine was still enjoying her time with her husband at Richmond Palace and the fact that Richard III had fined her did not bother her at all. She had heard of the up and coming wedding of Edmund de la Pole and Elizabeth Lovell which were the heirs of John de la Pole.

"Do you wish to attend the wedding?" The Infanta asked, her husband with a teasing smile upon her face. Henry scowled and shook his head. It was now time, time to move Richard from his throne and destroy the House of York.

"Does it not bother you, that you will no longer be Queen of England?" Henry asked, turning to Katherine who was surprised by such a question.

"I am content with what I have, and I do not wish that the King's late son was still alive." She said, and she meant it.

"What if I could make you Queen." Henry pressed, and Katherine stared at him sharply.

"Henry, what you say..." She began, but he cut her off.

"I know! Treason! But that is not the point! I have decided that it is time to take up the cause once more and to fight for the throne which is rightfully mine." Henry snarled, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Are you mad? And how would you go about this?" Katherine demanded, feeling uneasy about this.

"Why Richard has done a good deal of the work himself, their is still outrage about Edward and Margaret Poles deaths and even before then he was an unpopular King. The Lancastrians are still here, and it is up to me to claim what is our rightful heritage." Henry said, and Katherine nodded, a bit uneasy about it. Katherine had always been a firm supporter of the Divine Right of Kings and to seize the throne and kill an anointed monarch? Divine blood would not only be on Henry's hands but her own.

"Henry this is serious, you could lose and you would lose your life and your family would be disinherited." The Dowager Princess of Wales said with a frown.

"I am not going to lose, Richard is and I will see his head upon London bridge next to his wife's, the de la Poles, and Lovell and everyone one of his supporters. Katherine, I can do this, and we would have everything and there would be no loose ties." Henry said, and Katherine felt her stomach fill with fear at her husband's words.

"And what do you plan to do now?" Katherine asked softly.

"It is time, while Richard has been trying to find an heir that won't launch the country into another civil war. I will be building a new army, and this one will be entirely English." Henry said, with a cunning smirk upon his handsome face. He would settle this without outside help or intervention and the first thing to do was to gather together all the supporters of his father and the Lancastrian cause.

"I hate this, it is risky and everything could be lost." The Spanish Infanta warned, and the Earl of Richmond's son nodded.

"Yes, but it will not be the end of the House of Tudor, but of the House of York." Henry said, his blue eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and ambition.

"I have the support of the Brandons, the Russells, and other families as well who are for our cause." Henry said, and Katherine pursed her lips until they were but a thin line.

"And we have enemies such as the Lovells, Howards, and Percy's." She pointed out, though Richard was not a popular king, he had managed to gain some ground with some of the most noble families of England.

"And they shall be taken care of, for denying my father his throne and fighting against him with King Richard III." Henry said angrily.

"When I am King, I will most certainly pass Acts of Attainder against those who fought for the House of York at Bosworth." He said, and of course with those attainders, not only would he take their wealth, they would all forfeit their lives.

"And of course the old regime will go down, and a new one shall go up. I shall fill the government with supporters of our family and cause." Henry said to his wife and future Queen of England.

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_ A few months later, Palace of Placentia_

Everyone was gathered for the ceremony of John de la Pole, the Duke of Suffolk who was now to be invested with a the Dukedom of Gloucester and the Earl of Salisbury. This was intended to show everyone that he was next in line for the throne after King Richard. After the ceremony, John walked in triumph through the halls of Placentia for now he held another Dukedom to his name and in particular one that signalled that he was the heir to the throne of England and his children after him.

Richard was pleased at the events as was his wife Queen Anne Neville for once more the House of York was secure, not only through this further ennoblement of John de la Pole, but in the fact that he had rid himself of two very serious threats to his crown and the dynasty.

"Do you think this marriage will fare better than our sons?" Queen Anne asked, as she approached her husband. It would be disastrous if either William de la Pole or Frances Lovell's daughter died.

"Let us hope it will, I truly believe it will. And after all they are not the direct heirs yet, John is before the two of them." The King said to his wife.

"That is true, to think we came very close to your life's work coming to an end with the death of the Prince." Anne Neville said, and Richard nodded grimly. But he had though quickly and was able to make sure that it did not, so there was no need on their parts to worry any longer!

"On a lighter note, I think you shall be pleased to know that I have established the Christ College of the University of Cambridge." Anne Neville said with a bit of pride and arrogance.

"Good Anne." Richard said with a smile to his wife.

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AN: I know its a bit short, but next one will be longer! Thanks to Vader'sMistress for the idea of Katherine being led into politics which will eventually come, and also to Mimi who helped me a bit with the aspect of research! Thanks! )

Sources: wikipedia, tudorswiki


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks for your reviews!

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_July 1505_

Richard III paced his chambers wondering how he would deal with King Ferdinand who was refusing to pay the second half of the dowry, though Richard III had given Katherine her dower rights. 100,000 crowns would be of good use to the crown, though he was reluctant to cross the Catholic King. Therefore he decided to summon Katherine to court to see if she could intercede on his behalf, the least of which she could do, considering she had married the son of one of his worst enemies.

Katherine however, had no intentions of helping the Yorkist monarch. Why not only did he impose that fine upon her, he was being greedy and trying to double deal her father. Katherine of course had been in contact with her father who had named her temporary ambassador to England and she had readily accepted the challenge. She had learned to write coded letters which would be useful considering she was about to dabble into treason along with her husband. Katherine had been hesitant upon whether she should relay their plans to her father, and had held back for the moment. The begging of this treasonous and dangerous plot was to take place today in the confines of Richmond Palace. Her husband had invited the Brandons over to talk of politics and the current ruling dynasty. They had assembled in one of the Earl of Richmond's office with a roaring fire and a table with several seats surrounding it.

"And the Brandons are loyal to our cause?" She hissed to her husband who gave her a reassuring smirk.

"Richard III cut down William Brandon upon the battlefield, trust me when I say they are more than loyal to our cause." He said as one of the servants announced the Brandons. The first to enter was Sir Thomas Brandon, the brother of said William Brandon who had been killed at the Battle of Bosworth Field. He was a man with greying brown locks and an aged face that was solemn yet filled with cunning and manipulation. Next to come after him was his nephew, Charles Brandon, a man of twenty one years with the same brown locks and stone grey eyes as his uncle. He was dressed simply being a simple knight and both he and his uncle bowed to Henry and Katherine.

"Shall we?" Henry asked motioning to the table where they all took a seat.

"This is a preliminary meeting gentleman, to determine where we shall go with this." The Earl's son said firmly his blue eyes cold and filled with ambition.

"Of course most importantly we shall need support from the English people as well as the noble families." He said and Sir Thomas Brandon nodded in agreement.

"I agree, we know that the Percy's, Howard's, Poles, and Lovell's are loyal to the Yorkist king." He said flatly, and Henry nodded with a glare.

"They must be destroyed, and all of the rest of them should have their titles taken away as well as their lands so they may never think to go against the Lancastrian cause again." The Infanta interjected but her husband frowned.

"Not Lancastrian, Tudor." He corrected, and Katherine narrowed her eyes at her husband.

"My father told me that if he had been king he would have sought to marry off several of those of the Yorkist cause to the cause of the Tudors, what of this plan? Does it have any merit?" Henry asked, doubting the plan, why should their enemies enjoy the favor of being allied with House of Tudor?

"It seems to have both it's merits and flaws. I would have to say though in all honesty that I would prefer it the policy of destruction and stripping of the noble titles of these noble houses." Sir Thomas said with a flash of anger in his eyes as he recalled the death of his brother of Richard III.

"I concur with my uncle, it is the safest route to go with instead of worrying about them in the future." Charles said with a nod of his head.

"And what of Richard and his Queen? What are we to do with them?" Katherine asked, she knew without a doubt that Richard was going to facing execution at Tyburn or upon the battlefield, but what of Queen Anne?

"I think gentlemen, that we should go the route of Margaret of Anjou, who was kept prisoner until she was ransomed, but with Anne she should never be released." The Spanish Infanta said and there was agreement all around.

"Very well, I believe that I should have Richard hung, drawn, and disemboweled with his innards being salted at Tyburn." Henry Tudor said, with a smile upon his face.

"I second that opinion, he has certainly done nothing warranting leniency on our parts. Look at what he has done to his own family." Thomas Brandon said with a sneer of hatred and disgust.

"Are we to cleanse the entire government? Of whom no doubt is filled with Yorkist supporters?" Charles Brandon asked, doubtful such a thing could be achieved.

"Why not? You need not worry about the lack of people to fill the positions, there will be plenty to go round." Henry said and Thomas nodded in agreement.

"We need an army, and this time there can be no failure." The Spanish Infanta said solemnly, recalling what she had learned about the Battle of Bosworth. There would be no clemency a second time and she was determined to see through with the rise of Tudor dynasty.

"I have spoken with Sir Richard Guildford and he will assist us in this area." Henry said, and Thomas cracked a smirk at this.

"We need to attack and make sure Richard meets us where we will have the advantage over his army. London is not an option, and I do not wish to rule upon a sacked or ruined city." Katherine said and Henry considered her words for a moment. She did have a point, sacking London was not an option.

"Alright but where should we assembled our army at? Yorkshire, Suffolk, Northumberland and other loyal counties are off limits." The Earl's son mused leaning back in the chair.

"Do not forget that he is somewhat popular with the North, due to his Council of the North." Charles Brandon chimed in, and Katherine furrowed her brow in confusion.

"What has this council done?" She asked.

"They have improved living standards for the common north people and thus they are somewhat loyal to Richard III. It has no doubt been affected by the recent executions of his family members." Thomas Brandon explained, and Katherine nodded.

"Shropshire?" Henry suggested, it was on the west coast of England and far from London where it would give them the ability and resources to do what needed to be done.

"Yes, but what business would we have in Shropshire? I have manors and castles in the counties of Oxfordshire, the Westmidlands, Cheshire, and of course Wales. You need to pick from there, it would be much safer." Katherine said, it had to be exact and without cause for suspicion.

"Well then Cheshire will have to do for the most part, and it is north of Shropshire." Henry said, and the Brandons agreed.

"Who else do we intend to support us?" Charles asked, causing Henry to turn his attention towards him.

"I have already named the Guildfords, the Russels, and I have swayed the Earl of Shrewsbury to our side as well." Henry said, especially pleased with the Earl of Shrewsbury who was one of the most wealthiest and powerful earls in England and would be a valuable ally to their cause.

"What of the FitzAlans? Should we not try and speak with them upon this matter?" Charles Brandon asked, The FitzAlans were another powerful family.

"I will be pleased to speak with them on your behalf, I am certain they will see the truth in our cause." Sir Thomas said, and his nephew grinned.

"I have heard that King Edward IV had an illegitimate son Arthur Plantagenet? Should we not also seek him as our ally?" Katherine questioned, recalling mention of him. However her husband scowled at his name.

"No! He is a threat as well and even if he hated Richard, he could very well see himself as the rightful King of England, I will not have him in our midst!" Henry thundered.

"Peace husband, it was a simple question." Katherine retorted, a hint of anger in her voice.

"For now we shall go about securing alliances but with a low profile and not any cause to draw suspicion." Henry Tudors, said calming down a bit.

"As for now, we have another wedding to tend to, as we have been invited by the king to attend the wedding of Frances Lovell's daughter and John de la Pole's son." Henry said venomously.

"I do not look forward to see such a wedding, it's ridiculous this supposed idea of Richard's." Thomas retorted.

"I know, but we wil be there all the same." Henry said.

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Here we go! I will try and update sooner and not leave you guys with such long waits in between updates.

Sources: wikipedia, kateemersonhistoricals, Six Wives of Henry VIII by Starkey (has a small good bit of info), and also I would like to thank Mimi and Vader'sMistress for their help!

Please Read and Review!


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Alright here is a change, I have given Henry a new title, the Viscount of Nottingham as he is the heir to the Earl of Richmond. Thanks Mimi for helping me with this!

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_May 1505_

All of London had gathered once more for the wedding of Edmund de la Pole, 1st Earl of Lincoln and the Lady Elizabeth Lovell who were to become the future King and Queen of England. And this time the wedding was being held at Westminster Abbey, a gothic church a few miles from Westminster Palace. The Tudors had decided to take the barge up the Thames River as it would be much easier than trying to navigate through the city which would be busy at such a time.

Katherine was dressed beautifully in a gown of forest brown cut in the English fashion and with a neckline of gold beads and rubies which alternated. Around her waist hung a beautiful girdle of gold embedded with rubies and a pomander of solid gold decorated with rubies and pearls. Her golden auburn hair was bound up in gold Juliet cap lined with red lace. She wore a necklace of small chains that were made of gold as well as another necklace of pomegranates and gold K's.

Her own husband was dressed in a doublet of black silk and he wore an overcoat of gold lined with red silk as well. He wore a black hat with a great gold brooch in the center and a collar of gold and rubies across his broad shoulders.

"You do not think, that Richard will try and place you within Edmund's household as he did with the Prince of Wales?" Katherine asked, concern present in her blue eyes. She did not wish to be separated from her husband again.

"No, I do not think he would try something like that." The Viscount said to his wife.

"I have sent word to Leonardo da Vinci." Henry said, which caused Katherine to turn towards him again.

"The Italian painter? Why? Do you desire him to work upon Richmond Palace?" The Infanta asked, with a raised eyebrow. Her husband was extravagant and loved the bold new fashions in contrast to the old Burgundian influenced ways.

"Not Richmond, there is something else that he is quite adept at doing, but we will discuss more of it later." Henry said, as they arrived at the Westminster Abbey. People were bustling about, getting ready for the wedding, the Tudors sat at one of the pews towards the front. The inside of the Abbey was lavishly decorated, a great strip of red velvet was laid down the aisle no doubt for the bride to walk down.

As everyone took their place in the pews of the abbey, the wedding ceremony began. The groom, Edmund de la Pole was dressed in a rich doublet of white silk embedded with pearls, white hose and white trunks. A man in his early thirties, he had neck length curling brown hair and hazel colored eyes.

He knelt at the altar on a propped a pillow as his bride, Elizabeth Lovell walked down the aisle. Lovell was a lovely woman with long golden brown waves tumbling down her back and rich blue eyes and a pale white complexion. She was wearing a gown of white satin trimmed in lace and embroidered with pearls and diamonds. She took her place on the propped up pillow across from her soon to be husband as the priest began the ceremony.

"We are gathered here together before God and these witnesses to join in Holy matrimony, Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln and the Lady Elizabeth Lovell. If there be any amongst you whom object to this marriage, let them now speak out or forever hold their peace." The priest said and waited for a complete silence before continuing.

"And now we will continue with the vows of the couple." He turned slightly towards Edward who nodded and began to recite his vows.

"I take the Elizabeth Lovell to my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part, if the holy church will ordain, and thereto I plight my troth." Edward recited word for word.

"I take the Edmund de la Pole to my wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part, if the holy church will ordain, and thereto I plight my troth." Elizabeth Lovell said, staring straight at Edmund.

"And now we shall commence with the exchanging of rings." The priest said, and the Earl of Lincoln took out a ring and first placing it on the right thumb of Elizabeth's hand said:

"In the name of the Father" He then took the ring and placed it on her index finger.

"In the name of the Son." Next and last was her middle finger.

"And of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Then he began to speak once more.

"With this ring I thee wed, this gold and silver I thee give, with my body I thee worship, and with this dowry I thee endow."

After the ceremony, Mass was held and then the wedding feast began. There was a great array of foods, boar stuffed with various fruits, spit roasted chickens, and great swan pies that were redecorated with the feathers of the swan, several soups, baked lampreys, and wine.

Richard III was pleased with the ceremony as well as Frances Lovell and the Duke of Suffolk. Afterwards there was a grand feast at the great hall in the Palace of Placentia. Richard and his wife Queen Anne, presided over court, pleased at the recent turn of events.

"I should think that things will go more smoothly now." Anne said with a smile at her husband as they watched the younger courtiers dance with one another.

"We should hope so, now that all of these threats have been sorted." Richard said his gaze landing upon the Earl of Richmond. Yes all his enemies _would _be sorted.

"The king is staring at your father." Katherine hissed to her husband, who turned his gaze upon the Yorkist king.

"As he has always done, I suppose." The viscount said with barely concealed hatred.

Afterwards, soon things returned to normal in London and the Viscount and Viscountess Nottingham were now to meet with Leonardo da Vinci to further discuss some plans.

"You are not a subtle man in regards to decorations." Katherine mused with a wry smile causing Henry to smirk.

"Yes, but it is not painting, nor sculpting nor any decorations that we are to discuss with the Italian painter, no he is here to serve another purpose." Henry said as the famous man stepped forward. Who would have thought the Leonardo would be one of his greatest assets in pulling Richard off the throne of England? The man was old with grey waving hair and and a Mediterranean complexion stepped forward and gave a courteous bow.

"Master Da Vinci, welcome to England, we are most grateful for you coming to serve us." The Viscount of Nottingham said, as he led the man into the receiving chamber.

"Tis no cause, I must say that it is interesting to have an English patron." The Italian painter said with a smile as they sat down at a table.

Katherine was eager to know what her husband wanted with the Italian painter. After all there would be time for this when they became King and Queen of England. Leonardo opened his leather made parcel and spread out his designs amongst the table. The most strange yet intriguing machines were upon the piece of paper. Strange contraptions, why one was what seemed to be a triangle shaped board with metal rings and two poles at the top that crossed one another.

"If you do not mind, what is this supposed to be Master da Vinci?" The Spanish Viscountess asked with a raised eyebrow.

"A flying machine, why I have been most fascinated with flight for well on twenty years." The Italian painter said and Katherine pursed her lips.

The next picture was a round cylindrical shape that billowed out as you went further down. On top were spinning blades or some sort of fan?

"That is an aerial screw." Leonardo said, as the Viscountess turned to her husband.

"And what? Do you wish to use these contraptions?" She asked in a tight voice. They frightened her as one could fall to their deaths if it did not work!

"No, not these particular ones." Henry said, though he was intrigued by the much smaller machines.

There was another design and this was the one the young Tudor was looking to use. It was large in size and would be able to carry more than one person. It was like a ship but great strings attached it to this great giant thing that supposed to be filled with air. Nothing like a little bit of air-superiority!

"And could you build this? I would require several." Henry asked, leaning forward eagerly. Katherine on the other hand could not believe her husband, why not build regular safe ships? Who was to say this flying machines would leave the ground, let alone stay in the air?

"Yes, but it would take several months." The Italian painter said, and Katherine interjected.

"And where husband, would we build these things? It would surely draw attention!" She protested.

Henry was silent for a moment, he did not know as of yet, but he would soon figure out those particular details.

After he explained this, the Italian painter nodded and left leaving the couple alone to further discuss their plans.

"Henry, you surely can not mean to have this flying contraptions built?" The Spanish Viscountess asked with a frown upon her face.

"I do mean to, I will not shy away from battle!" Henry said with menace in his voice.

Later the two went to speak with the Earl of Richmond who was putting on a new coat when suddenly he let out a cry and an acid smelling mixture erupted from the cloak. Everyone backed away in horror when Henry rushed forward and grabbed the coat and flung it away from his father who was now on the floor heavily breathing, his skin scarred.

"Poison." The Earl of Richmond coughed out as he heaved from the attack as now everyone else entered the room.

"Father!" Margaret cried, rushing towards him.

"What happened?"Margaret Beaufort demanded as she knelt next to her only son.

"Poison and no doubt Richard did this, I know he did this!" Henry seethed as he watched his father rasp a few more times before falling silent. Katherine could hardly believe what she had just experienced with her own eyes.

Margaret collapsed into tears as Mary wrapper her arms around her in a gesture of comfort.

"I will kill them all." Henry said harshly as he looked down upon the corpse of his father.

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I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Inspiration from everywhere, x men 3, game of thrones, and the three musketeers 2011 film. Sources: wikipedia, . , and I want to thank Mimi Dubois for recommending the second source as well as helping me with this chapter!


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